ABSTRACT

To date, 10 transgenic crops (Figure 11.1) consisting of 10 phenotypes (Figure 11.2) have been evaluated and released in the United States (https://www.isb.vt.edu/release-summary-data.aspx).

Many transformants carry valuable traits: tolerance to herbicides, agronomic performance, resistance to insects, virus, bacterial, nematode and pathogens, quality traits (protein, oil, carbohydrate and fatty acids including amino acids composition), modied reproductive capacity, photosynthetic, enhancement and yield increase, delayed senescence, enhanced avor and texture, longer shelf life, and more healthful produce (Dunwell, 2000). The number of approved permits from 1997 to 2016 is shown in Figure 11.3. The production of GMO has been revolutionized for the last decade by private and public institutions. Monsanto Company, for example, has played a major role in applying for the maximum (7053) number of permits followed by Dupont-Pioneer, Syngenta, and others (Figure 11.4). The number of states that issued permits to grow transgenic crops is shown in Figure 11.5. Hawaii is the leader followed by Puerto Rico, Illinois, Iowa, California, and others.